University of Wyoming Board of Trustees Action

The budgets include both increases in budget authority stemming from
appropriations from the Wyoming State Legislature for specific projects
and reductions resulting from lowered expectations in state revenue.

The university's Section I budget includes the general fund, income
funds, federal mineral royalties, other federal research funds, land
income funds and foundation income, totaling $237.4 million for FY 2010.
That's a decrease from the $243.9 million approved and amended FY 2009
budget.

Special Appropriations
- Western States Energy and Environment Symposium, School of Energy
Resources, $250,000 (one-time) to provide the staffing, technical
support, and the costs of planning, conducting and reporting on the
Western States Energy and Environment Symposium.

UW's Section II budget covers UW's need for its self-sustaining
operations, which include auxiliary services, sponsored funding for
research and gifts and contributions among other things. The approval
for the FY 2010 budget incorporates the budget authority for ASUW,
Student Media, and the Wyoming Union. The only change in this budget
resulting from the reduction in state general funds for the FY 2010 is
an increase in Section II expenditures of $344,717 to replace state
general funds now used for functions in Student Affairs.

Trustees approved a Section II budget of $176.6 million.

2. Directed university staff to deny requests for loan repayment
under the WWAMI Medical Education program in cases where the physician's
practice is located in another state.

3. Approved a plan to create a program under which UW would offer
vouchers for health insurance coverage for domestic partners of UW
employees.

At the same time, the board's vote directs that the system be
implemented only when UW President Tom Buchanan determines it's fiscally
feasible to do so. UW administrators have been considering such a move
for several years.

"UW competes nationally and internationally for faculty members," UW
Provost Myron Allen says. "The range of institutions against whom we
compete includes research universities and corporations that offer
domestic partner benefits. More than half the companies of the Fortune
500 offer them. At the university level, 42 percent of colleges and
universities surveyed by College and University Professional Association
for Human Resources offer them."

Two years ago, the board of trustees directed the UW administration
to retain a consultant qualified to help UW evaluate the feasibility of
providing health insurance coverage for domestic partners. In July 2008,
Buck Consultants delivered a report to university officials that
concluded a voucher program was the most appropriate mechanism.

The program will cover domestic partners of either sex and is patterned after those at other universities.